The Reagan kids all woke up in a bit of a foul mood the next morning. There was really no reason for it, but each of them was un-ordinarily grumpy as they clomped down the stairs, complaining that they had to go to school.
"Ok," Danny finally declared when his Fruit Loops and peanut butter toast did nothing to elicit any smiles or positivity from them. "I want all three of you to go back upstairs, lay down on your bed, and then get up on the opposite side of the one you got up on this morning."
"What?" they all grumbled as they looked at him as if he'd lost his mind.
"We're not wasting an entire day in a bad mood. Upstairs, forthwith, lay down, and get up on the opposite side of the bed. Come back down in a better mood. Go. Now."
They all rolled their eyes as they started upstairs, but Danny was pretty certain he saw a slight smile from Millie and Jack.
"I got an idea," Millie whispered as they all climbed the stairs, "how about we just stay in bed and don't go to school?"
"I like that idea a lot better," Sean chuckled. They all went and stretched out on Millie's bed.
"Let's just see how long it takes before Dad comes looking," Jack laughed.
Jack pulled out his phone and entertained Sean and Millie with ridiculous YouTube videos. Finally, after about seven minutes, Danny realized the kids had staged a coup and made his way upstairs.
"I said get UP on the other side of the bed. Not go back to bed and stay in bed!" he announced as he walked into Millie's room and saw the three of them kicked back. They all started laughing as he threw his hands in the air. "Get up. Let's go. Get to the car. You're gonna be late and do you know who the nuns will blame? Me. They will blame me. My knuckles still have the imprints from where Sister Fitzpatrick would hit me with her ruler."
"Oh Mr. Uncle Danny, can't we just…"
"No. You are not skipping school. Absolutely not. Up up up. Now." They all sighed as they rolled off the bed and headed out the door. "Oh great and now you're all wrinkled. Don't tell Mama I sent you to school like this or I'll be in trouble with her too."
"She has a wooden spoon," Millie informed him.
"Yeah but she's not aiming it at your knuckles," Sean informed him. The kids giggled all the way out the door and down the stairs. Danny couldn't help but smile. He had, indeed, just achieved his goal of getting them in a better mood, albeit not in exactly the way he had intended, but he would take a win where he could get one.
"Mr. Uncle Danny," Millie began on the way to school.
"Yeah?"
"Can I kiss a boy today?"
"Absolutely not. If any boy tries to kiss you, you better give him a knuckle sandwich."
"Why you need to kiss a boy today?" Sean asked.
"Because Carmen said all the cool girls have kissed a boy. I'm the only one that hasn't."
"Hey, come here," Jack said as he leaned toward the backseat and Millie leaned forward. He kissed her on the cheek. "Now. When Cooky Carmen starts messing with you, just tell her that you have been kissed by an older boy. But don't tell her it was me because that's weird if you kiss your brother."
Millie grinned as Sean leaned over and kissed her other cheek. "Two older boys."
"And if that doesn't work," Jack continued, "tell her she probably has cooties from kissing boys."
"Thanks, Jackers. Can we do some more kickboxing this afternoon?"
"Yep. As soon as homework is finished."
"Cool."
Danny came to a stop in front of the carline and looked into the backseat as Millie began to climb out of the Jeep. "Have a good day. Mom will be here to get you at 3pm."
"Bye Mr. Uncle Danny. Bye Jackers. Bye Seany."
"See ya later, Mil."
"Love you!" Danny yelled after her as she grabbed Mrs. Patton's hand and skipped to the front door of the school.
Danny stopped just shy of the drop off for Sean and Jack and looked to the two of them.
"What?" Jack asked. "We don't plan on kissing anybody today either." Sean chuckled as Danny rolled his eyes.
"Wiseguy. What I was going to say, was I know that I don't tell you enough, but I'm really proud of the two of you. Your mom and I really appreciate you being good big brothers to your sister."
"Appreciate us enough to raise our allowance?" Sean grinned.
"You know what? Get out of here," Danny said as he threw up his hands. So much for a sweet and touching moment to begin the morning.
Jack and Sean cracked up as they opened their doors and started out. "Hey Dad," Jack turned back, "it's easy to love Mil, so no worries. And even if it weren't, she's our little sister. It's just what you do when you're family. See ya."
"Bye guys."
That evening, Jack had Millie in the garage, boxing gloves on and music blaring when Danny finally made it in.
"Hey Mama!" he announced as he walked in the front door.
"Hey!" Linda smiled as she leaned back and gave him a kiss. "How was work?"
"Nothing exciting. Where are the monsters?"
"Garage. Want to fold little kid t-shirts or big boy underwear?"
"Hmmm….. That's a tough one. Can I go check on my kids first?"
Linda grinned as she rolled her eyes. "If you must."
"Save the towels for me. I'm good at those," Danny smiled as he walked to the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle of water and made his way to the garage. He stood back and watched for a moment as Jack took great care to teach Millie the correct way to uppercut.
"Hey!" Sean yelled when he noticed the audience. "Wanna throw darts while these two throw punches?"
"Nice jab, Mil," Danny said as he walked over and grabbed a few darts. "Let me show you how this is done," he winked at Sean as his first dart sailed straight to the bullseye.
"Beginners luck," Sean chided as he rolled his eyes.
"Hey Dad, can we roast hotdogs tonight over the firepit?" Jack asked.
"That does sound good. I'll go ask Mama. We may have to run to the store real quick." Danny threw a second dart, striking the bullseye again.
"Oh now that's just wrong," Sean grumbled as Danny gave him a big grin and walked back inside to propose the idea of a campfire dinner. Linda was fine with it… it was much less work for her. She did, however, give him a short grocery list as they weren't really prepared for a mid-week campout.
"Anybody want to ride with me to the store?" Danny asked as he made his way back out to the garage.
Sean and Millie looked at one another. They knew if they went, they would definitely be coming home with more than Linda had written on her list. "Yep!" came their enthusiastic reply.
"How about I stay here and get the firepit going?" Jack suggested.
"Good plan. We'll be back in just a little bit. Let's go, you two."
Sure enough, they got everything on the list, and everything else Danny allowed. The most exciting for Millie being waffle cones, chocolate chips and mini marshmallows.
Linda just shook her head when they returned with all of their additional loot. She and Jack had the backyard set up and the fire blazing.
The Reagan kids sat back, roasted their hotdogs, and were entertained with stories from Linda and Danny about the old days.
"Did you know Dad when he was in the Marines?" Sean asked.
"Sure did," LInda smiled. "I loved seeing him in his uniform, and I wrote him letters every single week. I couldn't wait for his reply."
"You know what I loved? Danny asked as he grinned, "besides Mom, of course."
"What?"
"Twizzlers," Linda answered. "All those letters had to have a pack of Twizzlers with them. Daddy loved them."
"Gross," Millie said. "I would've asked for M&Ms."
"So then when you got home, what happened?" Sean asked.
"Well, me and your Uncle Joe met up with the cutest nurse in all of Staten Island and her best friend at the ice skating rink and the rest is history."
Linda smiled. "In six months we were engaged, eight months after that we were married, and now here we are, with the three of you. It's all gone by like that," Linda said as she snapped her fingers. "And now, it's time for baths and bed. Let's go."
"Hey Mr. Uncle Danny," Millie said as she headed up to Danny and LInda's room to get a bath.
"Yeah, Mil?"
"Can we go in an airplane somewhere?"
"Where do you want to go?"
"I don't know. I just want to ride in an airplane. I've never been in one before."
"Ah." He turned on the water in the shower and checked to make sure it was just the right temperature for her. "Hop in."
"So can we?" Millie pressed as she took off her shorts and shirt and stepped into the shower.
"We'll see," Danny said. "We've got to have somewhere to go before we just go hop on a plane… and right now, we don't have anywhere to go. Make sure you scrub from your toes to your nose." He walked over to the closet and got out a fresh towel and put it on the counter along with a hairbrush.
"But it will be summer soon and we can go on a vacation somewhere," MIllie said as she got Linda's body wash and soaped up her washcloth and literally began at her face and soaped her entire 3'4'' body from top to bottom.
"Oh really. Just like that?"
"Uh huh. We could go to Disney World or California or Chicago."
"You gonna pay for this trip?"
"Well, no. But I can ask Grandpa to give you a raise."
Danny chuckled. "I'm sure that will work. Time out. I've got to go get your jammies. You want the monkeys or the monsters?"
"Monkeys," Millie answered as he made his way out the door and over to her room to find her pajamas and underwear.
"Ok," he said as he came back in. "Time in."
"You know, when you ride on an airplane, you get to watch movies and they give you little snacks to eat and you get to pick from a whole long list of drinks that you can drink."
"So… basically it's like a Friday night at Casa de Reagan?"
MIllie frowned. "Mr. Uncle Danny."
"I"m kidding. Are you good and clean?"
"Yes sir."
"Good. Hop out from under the water real quick so I can wash that hair and we can get you out of here."
"Don't use your shampoo. It smells like a boy. Use Mrs. Aunt Linda's."
"Yes ma'am," Danny grinned as he poured some coconut shampoo in his hand and soaped up Millie's long, brown curls.
"You know, they also have helicopters that you can ride around New York City. You don't get snacks or drinks, but you do get to fly. And guess who lives in New York City?"
"Not Millie Reagan," Danny kidded her. "She lives in Staten Island."
"Mr. Uncle Danny!"
"I"m just messing with you. Back under the water. Let's rinse." He rinsed out all the soap from her hair before grabbing the conditioner bottle and squeezing a liberal amount of conditioner in his hand and began massaging it into her hair. "What's the sudden interest in flying?"
"Hold on," Millie said. "My eyes are burning."
Danny rolled his eyes and chuckled as instead of rinsing her washcloth, she wiped her eyes on his t-shirt.
"Better?" he asked.
"Much better." And then she picked right back up where she had left off. "I want to be a traveler and get a suitcase to roll through the airport and and talk on a cellphone, and get on a plane. It looks cool."
"Ah. I see."
"I bet Mrs. Aunt Erin is good at it."
"Well, she is good at walking and talking on a cellphone."
"Have you flied on an airplane before?"
"Flown," Danny corrected. "And yeah. I've flown a bunch. How do you think I got back from Fallujah? I definitely didn't swim." Millie cracked up. "Close your eyes. Let's rinse."
"So can we?"
"One day we will."
"Ok… So when can I get a cellphone? I need a cellphone to fly."
"Not for a long time."
"How about a suitcase with wheels? I need that too."
"I'm not quite sure you need a suitcase with wheels just yet." Millie sighed as he turned off the water, grabbed her towel, and wrapped her up like a burrito. "What's the one thing I always tell you?" he asked as he sat her down on the counter.
"I don't know. What?"
"Stop rushing growing up. I just want you to be six years old as long as possible."
"Ok."
Danny brushed Millie's hair as she started a whole new conversation, talking a-mile-a-minute. He found it all very amusing as he tried to get all of the tangles out of her hair.
"Need reinforcements?" Linda asked as she made her way into the master bathroom.
"I think MIllie tied knots in her hair," Danny said.
"Mr. Uncle Danny, I did not!"
Linda chuckled. "GIve me that hairbrush and say goodnight to your boys. We'll finish up here."
LInda got the detangler spray out and had Millie's hair brushed in no time.
"Alright Missy, let's get you to bed."
"In the big bed?"
"No. In your bed, with your cats."
Millie skipped off with Linda right behind her. They met Danny in the hall and all made their way into Millie's room. Linda turned back the covers as Danny picked up Phil and Gus so that Millie could climb into bed.
Danny sat down on one side as Linda sat on the other, watching the cats curl up and make themselves comfortable by their tiny leader. "Got Atticus?" Danny asked.
"Got him," Millie smiled as she pulled the stuffed rat out from under the covers.
"Tucked in tight?" Linda asked.
"I don't think I can move, so I guess."
"Good. Ready to say prayers?"
Millie clasped her hands in front of her face and closed her eyes.
Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. God bless Grandpa, Pop, Mr. Uncle Danny, Mrs. Aunt LInda, Jackers, Seany, Mrs. Aunt Erin, Nicki, Mr. Uncle Jamie, Ms. Officer Eddie, Mr. Jim, Mr. Garrett, Mrs. Detective Baker, Sarge, Phil, Gus, and Gunner." She paused for a few as if to think about something. "And God, please tell Mr. Uncle Danny where we can go on a trip so that I can ride an airplane and have a suitcase with rolly wheels and talk on a cellphone. Amen."
"Amen," Danny smiled as he rolled his eyes. "Going above my head?"
"Father Patrick said in the Bible it tells you ask and you shall receive and that means if you tell God what you want, you get it."
"I think you may need to study that passage a little harder. Have a good sleep. Love you big."
"Love you bigger," Millie yawned as he and Linda both leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"Want to fill me in on that?" Linda asked as they made their way out of Millie's room and down the hall.
"Just Millie being Millie," he laughed. "I'm very interested to see where she goes when God doesn't answer this prayer right away."
"Where do you think?" Linda chuckled. "She'll go to Henry."
"And he'll probably grant the wish," Danny muttered as he slung an arm around her shoulders and they made their way to their bedroom.
"And where does she want to go?"
"Disney World, Chicago, or California."
"Hmmm... I could skip the west coast and Disney and go straight for some Chicago deep dish pizza."
"Ooooh," Danny agreed, "that does sound good. Come on, let's go right now."
"And who is going to take care of our children?"
"Ah they're old enough to stay home for a few days," Danny laughed. "They've got hotdogs and marshmallows."
"Well if you put it that way," Linda chuckled. "I don't know how I could say no." They climbed in bed and gave each other a kiss. Linda held on to Danny's face as he smiled up at her. "I sure do love you Danny Reagan."
"Love you more."
"Love you most."